Title: Limbo
Author: 10th-letter
Fandom(s): CSI: Vegas
Rating: PG-13 - R
Spoiler/Content Warning: Spoilers for all seasons of CSI.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, sadly. If I did, there'd be more slash.
Authors Notes: Way AU! Say goodbye to the fourth wall! Ever wonder what happens to the characters that disappear from your favorite forensice crime dramas?

A group of women sat around a table in an abandoned casino. A severe looking blonde tried to soothe a panicked woman to her left.

“Chandra, it’s all right. It happens to everyone eventually.” she said, trying once more to find her gun.

“Somehow I don’t think they’d let us keep firearms, Sofia” said a tall African-American woman to the blonde.

“I know, Mia. Part of me can’t give up hope, you know?” said Sofia Curtis, frowning.

Chandra, still sobbing dug frantically in her purse for some tissues. She found a small travel pack.

“So, I’m not allowed my firearm, but you’re allowed your purse?” spat Sofia angrily.

Chandra sniffled, “I guess because I don’t have anything in here I can use to get out.”

“No! This is bullshit! I have a husband and daughter to get back to! They need me!” shouted a southern male voice from off in the distance. There was the sound of pounding, “Is anyone there! My daughter needs me!”

“Bobby! It’s pointless to even try!” shouted Mia.

Ballistics expert Bobby Dawson walked back to the room where his former coworkers were sitting, “I know! Mia, I know! But I can’t just give up!”

“Face it, Bobby, we’re here for good.” replied Mia, comforting her friend.

“Yeah, I’m sure Tim called Brass and the entire LVPD’s out looking for us” said Sofia, hopeful.

“They’re not,” came a new voice. A young blonde woman strolled into the room where the others were sitting.

“And you are?” asked Sofia.

“Riley Adams. CSI level 2 for all of one year” said the blonde.

“Wow, CSIs are showing up here now. I thought it was just lab techs.” said Mia

“I was a high ranking detective!” exclaimed Sofia, “I was Brass’s right hand woman!”

“Really? He never talked about you. About any of you.” said Riley, sitting down.

“So what happened to our jobs?” asked Bobby.

“Filled by nameless drones. No one knows who the hell they are.”

“So, it’s like we all just disappeared?” asked Chandra.

“As far as I can tell. They seem to have just forgotten about us. But I think things may change soon.” said Riley, proudly.

“And why’s that?” asked Sofia.

“I managed to leave a note before I vanished. When Grissom quit to run off and marry Sara - “ satrted Riley.

“He what!?” exclaimed Sofia.

“I thought Grissom liked the job!” shouted Bobby.

“I didn’t think Sara was that serious about him.” said Mia.

“I don’t get it either, but Catherine took over for Grissom before they could give it to the new guy. I left her a note, I gave her a horrible review as shift leader.”

“But Catherine’s a great CSI” said Bobby.

“I know she is. One of the best. We got along great, but a few weeks before I vanished, I knew I had to do something that would seem so out of character for me that someone would notice. I left some coded messages in the review, hopefully someone will realize that I actually liked her and wouldn’t have put in for a transfer.”

“You kinda did put in for a transfer,” came another male voice from the opposite side of the room. A tall man with a five o’clock shadow and bullet holes walked into the room.

“Keppler!?” exlaimed Sofia.

“What’s left of him, anyway. So where are we?” he asked.

“That’s what we’ve been trying to figure out” said Mia.

“We’re in Character Limbo” came another male voice, right behind Keppler.

“Warrick!” shouted most of the group, jumping up to greet the newcomer.

Riley stood up and walked over, offering to shake Warrick’s hand, “Warrick Brown? I’m Riley Adams. Nice to finally meet you. You left a gap in the team that I apparently wasn’t enough to fill. After you left-”

“Got shot by some punk with entitlement issues…”

“I was brought in to replace you and Grissom ran off to Ecuador to be with Sara.”

“What? That doesn’t make any sense!”

“I don’t think anything does here, Warrick” said Mia.

“Yeah, where did you say we were?” asked Bobby.

“Character Limbo. Mike and I got some information before we wound up here. Apparently we’ve been ‘written out of the show’. And since Mike and I were killed before just ‘vanishing’ we were in some kind of afterlife before showing up here.”

“Show? What show?” asked Chandra.

“Damned if I know,” said Keppler “apparently there’s a version of this place in New York City and Miami too. I think we were on some forensics show.”

“Great, and we’re not on it anymore.” said Mia

“Basically.”

“Maybe our show’s on DVD?” suggested Bobby. The group looked curious, “Yeah! Who knows! Maybe it’s been on for a few years and we will live on!”

Mia shot him a glare.

“It was worth a chance.”